Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1887-09-17
THE HoARpgD WEALTH OF INDIA.
How the East Indian Turns Everything
He Passaaaes into ,JeWelrv.

How the East Indian Turns Everything
He Possesses Into Jewelry.
Never during its existence has India
been 50 rich in jewelry as now. The
people are always adding to their stock.
Savings from nearly all sources are dis
posed Of in this way, and these savings
are bang constantly made-often at the
expense Of clothing, sometimes at the ex-
penss Of greater accessories of life.
The making and the storing away Of
wealth in this form is the national pc
culisrity Of this country. 1t is INDUCED
in by all classes of natives. Jewelry is
regarded as the most staple kind of
wealth, and fortunes are never counted
without estimating the value of the stock
Of jewelry. It can always be pledged or
disposed OF. The market for its sale is
never closed and never depressed.
The most ignorant native who wishes
to sell piece Of iewelry knows its market
value quite web. He can scarcely be
cheated. Jewelry forms the greatest
factor In matrimony. The most lowly
bride has her stridhan, which is often
equal In value to five years income of the
bridegroom. There is often a scarcity of
clothing, sometimes scarcity of cooking
pots, generally not particle of furniture,
but nearly always stock of jewelry.
The wife that has no jewelry possesses
nothing else; she cannot be robbed. The
family that does not possess jewelry is
absolutely INDECENT. One of the greatest
boasts of the jewelry owner is that his
boards cannot be taxed. A man may
own jewelry valued at lakh of rupees
and pay no income tax. This IS a source
Of great satisfaction. Jewelry yields no
recurring income. but it is priced more
than government paper. IF II never
increases & never diminishes, =" is n ma
tional saying. common among men and
women alike.
No native marriage, except among the
most impoverished, takes place without
transfer Of jewelry, and very frequently
Of new tewelry. So great in value is tho
new jewelry that Is introduced into new
families BY marriage, that we dare not
estimate n, The amount would be SO fab
ulous. Truly the investment of wealth
In tawelry In India Is the greatest and
most ssnaxkable institution In the coun-
try. Every other investment sinks into
insigniaeance beside It.
Under no native prince or raiah Of
former times has jewelry accumulated as
o has accumulated under the British
government In British India. For cell
tury past the soaking of towns has been
unknown; the plumber Of individuals has
been greatly restrained, and wealth in the
form OF jewslry has accumulated.
One-haf of the people of India arc
jewelry owners. 1t is only when the day
Of taking stock Of the family jewelry
comes round, such as tho occasion of a
wedding or q great gala day, that q
stranger can form the slightest concep-
ton Of the amount of wealth in the fam
lily In the form of jewelry. Amusement
at once strikes him as he for the first
time b permitted to sec the amount Of
accumulated wealth.
The inventory day is, par excellence,
the women's day. Gathered round tho
iron safes, the cash boxes, the metallic
boxes, tho neatly carved wooden boxes,
the delight Of the women is observed
IN THAR eyes as each pair Of golden brace
let's studded with pearls; each pair Of
diamond, or emerald, or sapphire ear
rings. each nose ring with large pearls,
massive gold chains and large number
OF rings; expensively and even extrava-
gantly gemmed, are handed round the
family circle for admiration. And great
Is the family delisht.-Advocate Of
India.